With the first cold nights comes the same question every year: what is the best firewood for a fireplace? The answer has two parts. The species matters, but it matters even more that the wood is properly dry. Good firewood that has been poorly seasoned smokes, dirties the glass and gives off little heat. We'll show you how to choose it, how to check it's dry and how to store it until spring, whether you have an open fireplace, an insert or a wood-burning stove.
Best firewood for a fireplace: the most common species
- Holm oak. Holm oak is the most prized firewood in much of Spain: it's dense, burns slowly, builds up a good bed of embers and gives out heat for hours. It's usually one of the most expensive, too.
- Oak. Also dense and slow-burning. It needs longer to season than most.
- Olive and almond. They burn very well, with an attractive flame. The wood usually comes from pruning and from trees grubbed up on farms.
- Eucalyptus. Very common in the north and west of Spain. It catches quickly and gives off plenty of heat, but burns through faster than holm oak. It works well mixed with denser wood.
- Pine. It's very resinous: it lights in no time, but leaves more soot in the chimney and on the glass. Use it as kindling, not as your main firewood.
A combination that works: thin pine or eucalyptus to get the fire going, and holm oak or oak to keep the heat up.
Dry firewood: what matters most
Freshly cut wood can be around half water by weight. As it burns, it uses up energy evaporating that water: it gives off less heat, makes more smoke and leaves more deposits in the flue. Ideally, burn wood with a moisture content below 20%.
Signs that firewood is dry:
- it has cracks at the ends and a duller colour;
- it feels light for its size;
- the bark comes away easily;
- when you knock two logs together, they sound sharp and hollow, not dull;
- when it burns, it doesn't hiss or froth at the ends.
If you buy firewood often, a firewood moisture meter settles any doubt in seconds: push the pins into a freshly split face, not into the bark.
Buying firewood: what to ask
- When was it cut? Lighter woods, once split, dry in 6 to 12 months in the open air; denser ones, such as holm oak and oak, can take from a year and a half to two years.
- Is it sold by weight or by volume? By weight, wet firewood costs more than it seems: you're paying for water. By volume (cubic metre or stere), ask whether the logs come stacked or loose.
- What size are the logs? They need to fit comfortably in the fireplace or stove. Thinner logs dry faster.
If the wood arrives wet, don't burn it yet: keep it for next winter and buy a small amount of dry firewood for now.
How to store firewood so it doesn't get damp
- Keep it off the ground on pallets or battens, so it doesn't soak up moisture from the soil.
- Cover the top only. A small roof or a tarpaulin over the top protects it from rain; the sides should stay open so air can circulate. Firewood wrapped in plastic ends up going mouldy.
- Stack it in loose rows, ideally where it gets sun and wind, and leave a hand's width between the stack and the wall.
- Indoors, keep only two or three days' worth, in a basket or log holder by the fireplace. Lots of firewood indoors brings in damp and creepy-crawlies.
What you should never burn
- painted, varnished or treated wood, including bits of old furniture and building waste;
- chipboard and plywood, because of the glues;
- pallets of unknown origin, which may have been treated with chemicals;
- plastics, packaging and magazine paper;
- green or mouldy wood.
As well as giving off harmful fumes, they dirty the fireplace and can damage the stove glass.
Lighting the fire better, with less smoke
Try lighting it from the top: two or three thick logs at the bottom, thinner logs and kindling on top of them and, right at the top, a firelighter. The fire burns down gradually, the flue warms up sooner and there's less smoke. In a stove or an insert, open the air intake fully when lighting and close it a little once there are embers. If the glass turns black, here's how to clean fireplace glass.
And then there's safety: have the chimney swept at least once a year, ideally before winter; put a fireguard in front of an open fireplace if there are children or pets at home, and consider fitting a carbon monoxide alarm. If you have a cat, also find out how to tell if your cat is cold. And to get your home ready for winter, take a look at the Velia Select shop.